It has
always confused me why wheelchair technology has not progressed with other
mobility technology, be it prosthetics, cars or bikes, or at least to the same
extent. Indeed in most mobility technologies, we have seen developments in the
automotive industry reflected by developments in other mobility industries, and
yet at first glance, it does not appear to have happened with wheelchairs.
If we look
at the situation over the last 50 years, the car industry was focused on crude,
heavy materials, with products built from a high volume of parts. Prosthetic
limbs are another example, which were heavy, unwieldy and uncomfortable objects
effectively alien to the user. However, the cutting edge of both these products
now focus on customized carbon fibre, lightweight construction, reduced parts
and ergonomic design. Bikes too, have moved from heavy steel frames to
lightweight, streamlined carbon fibre units weighing only a few kilograms.
Why,
therefore, has the mainstream wheelchair industry stuck to a concept of rigid
steel frames with panels and sections attached to the frame, and not embraced
new technology? I began to look into this topic and spoke to Andrew Slorance,
Managing Director of Carbon Black wheelchairs. I
discovered that in fact this is a question Andrew has been
asking himself since the age of 14, when he suffered a paralysing spinal
injury. He describes going into bike shops and wondering why you could order a
fully customised carbon fibre bike, essentially an item purely for pleasure,
and yet with an essential item such as a wheelchair, this was not an option.
It is a question that several years later in his adult
life, led Andrew to leave his job to focus 100% on developing a new wheelchair,
taking up these design considerations and attempting to bring wheelchair
technology into the 21st Century.
There were two huge obstacles to Andrew’s vision. The
first was the status quo. The development of wheelchairs is focused on keeping
costs low, with the majority of parts made to one design at very low cost in
China. These are then sold around the world with no real competition, and no
investment in development. No one was willing to consider ‘reinventing the
wheelchair’. The sole reason that any mobility industry has developed is
because of competition, whether this be in the commercial market or in sports,
such as bike racing or Formula 1 and other motorsports.
This led Andrew to the second key problem; finding
someone with the experience to build a new wheelchair. Andrew was looking to
design a fully customised carbon fibre wheelchair, using a monocoque structure
to reduce parts and weight and to increase strength, with very low or no
maintenance needs. In one instance working with a world rally championship car
development team, they explained that Andrew’s product was the most difficult
product they had worked on, because of the focus on fewer parts, with better
design. However at high initial cost to himself, Andrew persevered.
Andrew’s journey to find a developer eventually led him
to the pinnacle of automotive design, Formula 1, and a relationship was formed
whereby his wheelchair could be developed and built to the ideals he had set
out to realise. When you consider the way Formula 1 has influenced car
technology over the years, this was clearly the right home for his ideas.
Now Andrew has designed the Carbon Black wheelchair, a
fully customised, lightweight and ergonomic wheelchair that has the familiarity
of a standard wheelchair, but without many of the drawbacks that Andrew felt
were being ignored by the wheelchair industry. The wheelchair has been
available for purchase since late 2013 and has received an overwhelming ‘Wow’
from wheelchair users.
As a clinical negligence solicitor, my particular
interest in this product is not just what it does for wheelchair technology,
but what it does for the injured user, and potentially what it can do for
victims of clinical negligence who have suffered a paralysing injury.
Firstly, the Carbon Black is very lightweight. Many new
wheelchair users struggle with the energy and effort needed to use a standard
wheelchair, particularly if there are secondary injuries. This can lead to
users having reduced mobility and independence because the prospect of using
the wheelchair is just too daunting. A lightweight carbon fibre wheelchair
means that users are able to get back to regaining their independence as soon
as possible, and continue with their lives.
In any clinical negligence claim, this must be the key
focus. An injured person must be returned to the position of independence that
they were in, as much as possible, before the injury. Not only does a
wheelchair of this design improve the chances of this happening, but by
increasing the ability to be independent, it also reduces the need for
additional care.
Secondly, it is fully customised to the user. The focus
is not on someone using the wheelchair as a piece of equipment, but on the
wheelchair being a part of the user’s day in as unconscious a manner as
possible, which again improves independence.
Finally, it’s aesthetically pleasing. In speaking to
Andrew, we both agreed that it wasn’t clear why wheelchairs weren’t allowed to
look good? As a piece of technology, and simply as a consumer product, it is
very attractive. Andrew felt daunted when he was given his first wheelchair at
14, and didn’t want to leave the house with it. A wheelchair user doesn’t stop
caring about aesthetics once they become paralysed (indeed they should not
either), but the wheelchair industry needs to wake up to this issue.
At least for now, Andrew and the Carbon Black wheelchair
are seeking to move wheelchairs forward to a point they deserve to be at, and
improve wheelchairs not just for the sake of development, but for the sake of
wheelchair users.
Tom Gough is a
solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp and specialises in clinical negligence claims.
Tom has years of experience of acting for seriously injured clients. If
you think you may have a legal claim, contact us online or call 0808 1596
075 for expert advice from our dedicated team.
As a clinical negligence solicitor, my particular
interest in this product is not just what it does for wheelchair technology,
but what it does for the injured user, and potentially what it can do for
victims of clinical negligence who have suffered a paralysing injury.
